Knuckles is targeted for murder. Tikal is back in the present. The Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald begin to evolve into a different shape, at a rapid speed. It isn't Eggman in the least...let's just say his 'family' had a back up plan.

She wanted to do something nice for him...after all, he DID save her life. He, however kept his distance and obviously took guarding the master emerald very seriously. She admired him very much, but his job got in the way of any social relationship whatsoever. She felt like an idiot, even considering about thinking of being in that kind of relationship with Knuckles. But she figured that maybe his close friends could help her out. She recalled talking to Sonic, Tails, and Amy a few days ago.

"Friends?" Sonic chuckled "If you wanna put it that way, but Knux is only around when he feels he is needed. IF we were to invite him somewhere he would blow us off like we were nothing and stay close to that green rock of his.

"Nobody can blame him, though." Tails added "Guarding the emerald is all he knows, as a matter of fact, most of the time he sets a foot off of that island...it has something to do with the master emerald in some way....if you could just---"

"He's awfully rude at times but I know that he can be sweet when the mood takes him" Amy cut in.

Rouge came back to reality as she sat atop a cliff, prepping herself for what was about to happen, he would appriciate it. She just knew it! She could see Knuckles coming in, his eyes full of that meaningless anger they were always in...and all of a sudden, they light up with happiness as he sees his friends and her standing beside a buffet of snacks and the music blasting a banner that reads "Thank you, Knuckles!" she glided off the cliff, still in her little world towards Angel Island._______________________________________________________________________

He usually wouldn't leave the island for any other reason but for the master emerald, if Amy was in trouble with Eggman, it wasn't any of his business. But seeing as how Tails had offered keep watch on the Master Emerald while he was gone, he didn't see why not. Tails said that they were somewhere near the Mystic Ruins. Knuckles Glided around to find them. He was sure a blast or a scream would give them away but...nothing. This was unlike any encounter he had heard about with Eggman, he even had to admit to himself that he was starting to get worried as he double-checked each and every area again._______________________________________________________________________ A female nurse in training stood next to a dark figure in a white coat who is sitting in a chair at some type of a control center typing away. In front of them both was a cylinder with a creature kept inside it, waiting ot be awakened for its only task in life

"Doctor," the nurse spoke spoke "it is only a matter of days before it happens...don't you think.."

"I would rather be a little late, then send him out into the world with the wrong amount of training epxirience, Sara." the dark figure replied

"But what if it is too late and the emerald transforms before we even have a chance to stop it?" Sara said coldly to the doctor. She was obviously very anxious to get this task over with, the doctor however seemed more calm.

"It will be fine, Sara. I know you are angry for me getting you mixed up in this, but beleive me, Blinx will be released just in time to stop Knuckles."

"And what of the past guardian?"

"We will indeed need her help more than anyone."

"How do we get to her?"

"I've modified Chaos Control so that it is fit for time travel as well, I will teach Blinx this after he deals with the matter of the Master Emerald."

"You mean he doesn't even know what he is capable of?! Listen, we picked up where Dr.Robotnik left off...maybe we should stop. Maybe someone else has the power, Doctor!"

"Do you doubt that I am capable to pull this off?"

"I didn't say that, doctor. I was simply implying.."

"What, Sara?! What were you implying? That I would not be done in time? That I am acting too calm? Is that it?"

"Well, what else do you want me to think? Unless that guardian is stopped it means the end of us all and the start of a nightmare!"

"It won't be our problem, then. Will it, Sara?"

"Are you really willing to slack off and waste all of those innocent lives?"

"I am just working at my own pace! I would hardly call it slacking off!"

"But you seem as if you don't even care!"

"If I didn't care I wouldn't be doing a damn thing about this, Sara!"

The doctor was frustrated and trying his best to save everyone and everything. He buried his face into his hands as a beep sounded.

"Doctor!" Sara exclaimed "It's time!"

"Yes..." The doctor replied with a intelligent tone as he turned to the cylinder and spoke into a microphone in front of him "Blinx, my boy! You're going on a trip to Angel Island!" _______________________________________________________________________

Tails sat on the stairs of the shrine of the master emerald while Sonic, Amy, and Rouge were on the other side of the island, preparing everything for the celebration. Tails looked up at the sky helplessly and closed his eyes, trying to be relaxed. He couldn't see how Knuckles could stand this. He knew everyone was on the other side, having fun. But he had to do so, he promised Knuckles he would...even if it was based on a little white lie. He saw a spark of light in the sky and a streak of light as it glided toward the island. Tails knew that spark of light anywhere...it was the light..the same light that appeared after a Transport with Chaos Control. The only person he knew that had that power was Sonic..Sonic and the late Shadow. For a moment, there was a ray of hope...maybe Shadow was alive! There was really no confirmation of his death! But that hope faded as the figure got closer and closer to the island. It was an Echidna. At first he was sure it was Knuckles. He had to stall him until the others were ready but the figure landed on the island...right in front of him. It was an Echidna, but it sure as heck wasn't Knuckles. He stared in shock as the Echidna glared back. He was a bright orange color, almost identical to Knuckles. The ring around his neck was black and he had a camoflage bandanna he wore on his head.

"Umm...Hello.." Tails said cautiously "A friend of Knuckles?"

The echidna smirked "I guess you could say that."

"Well!" Tails spoke again, this time with a more cheerful pep "If you want, you can help us out with this part we're setting up for him! See, he saved this girl Rouge's life and.."

"I don't care." he interupted "My name is Blinx. I am a good friend of the guard--..the one you call Knuckles. If you please, I need to take a look at the master emerald." Blinx approached Tails and the emerald

"Umm...wait.." Tails said standing in front of Blinx, blocking his way "I can't let you do that, see he's real protective of this emerald and I'm keeping a watch on it for him."

"Oh, is that so?!" Blinx scowled "Well, if you don't let me see it, I'll have to use force."

"Look with your eyes, not with your hands!" Tails said trying to sound intimidating.

"I didn't want to do this, pal." said Blinx calmly as he charged at Tails.

Tails didn't know who he was or where he came from. But he was determined to defend Knuckles' emerald, even if it meant he had to fight. Unfortunatly for him, the Tornado wasn't nearby but he had enough fighting expirience to even foil Eggman. He was about to dodge to the left when Blinx got near him, but his speed was incredible. Not only did the headbutt Blinx intended hit Tails, it sent him flying to the other side of the shrine. Tails was ready to get back up and charge back but Blinx was a step ahead of him, he was already behind Tails as he hit him in the head from behind, knocking him unconcious.

"Poor kid, I hope I didn't accidently kill him." Blinx said to himself as he approached the emerald. "Now..the easiest way to destroy it is if it's in peices..that's what the doc said." Blinx raised a fist above his head and sent it crashing down on the emerald, shattering it into peices as they flew all over the place. "Damnit!" He yelled "He didn't say anything about them going all over the place like that!..But I guess it's for the best, he won't be able to find all the peices in time anyway. Now, to find that other guardian." He flew off into the distance._______________________________________________________________________

Knuckles was on his way back to Angel Island thinking to himself..where could they have gone? He hoped he hadn't gotten there too late and Eggman had already cleaned up the mess but no, he knew Sonic better than that, he couldn't have lost to the demented doctor that easily. He was a few minutes away from the island when..he sensed the master emerald. This was odd...he usually didn't feel the power of the master emerald until he was closer to the island...MUCH closer..he kept flying and pondering, while he was doing so a peice of the master emerald zoomed by him, cutting him across the eye leaving a big scratch. He started bleeding without control. What he had sensed was that peice! But That could only mean one thing. The master emerald had been shattered once again, but worse..what if something had happned to Tails? He could never forgive himself for putting someone in danger because he denied his duty for once. He covered his eye and zoomed toward the island at high speed.

He reached the island on the opposite side of the shrine. He would have landed on the front but because of his cut he was loosing a lot of blood and feeling woozy, he felt it would be safer if he stayed on land. He landed on the island and tried to keep himself on his feet, walking around aimlessly he did, however manage to stumble near his "suprise party". Everyone looked at him in suprise.

"Knu..Knux.." Sonic Stammered "When did you get here?"

"Wha?" Knuckles said with a confused face "What's going on?"

"Umm..heh...suprise!" Rouge shouted. But upon noticing the blood gushing from behind his hand her voice suddenly changed to a worried tone "Hey, Knuckles. You okay?"

"Tails...in...trouble..." Knuckles managed to spill these words out before collapsing to the ground.

Knuckles sprung awake as if he had just passed out an instant ago. Sonic, Rouge, and Amy Were watching over Tails and Knuckles. Knuckles now had a bandage over his eye and Tails, a bandage around his head. They were laying in beds in a hospital room. Knuckles sat up instantly, it seemed that all memory had been fushed from his mind for a few seconds.

Rouge stopped him at the door, holding him in place. "Knuckles, you're hurt very badly please, go back to your bed."

Knuckles collapsed in her grip, he had wanted someone to stop him, he felt terrible. He was always against depending on others but so many people were in this room to protect him, he wanted someone to hold him and nurse him, if it were only for a moment. Rouge smirked slightly as she helped him back to his bed.

"You're so stubborn, you know that?" Rouge asked as she stared down at him from his bed.

"Takes one to know one." Knuckles coughed. He looked to notice Amy and Sonic sitting in a couble of chairs from his bed "I see that Amy's alright, that's good." he said with a slight smile.

"Uh-heh heh.." Amy giggled uneasily

"Oh, Knuckles I'm so sorry! This was all my fault!" said Rouge, starting to sob "I just wanted to thank you and throw you a little get together but...it went all wrong! Tails is hurt and the Master Emerald is in peices.."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked the injured Echidna

"We lied about Amy in trouble to get you off the island so we could set up for a little party for you I had no idea--" Rouge wanted to continue but she was cut off my Knuckles.

"What?! THEN IT IS YOUR FAULT!" he yelled at the sobbing treasure hunter "HOW COULD YOU DECEIVE ME LIKE THAT?! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT THE EMERALD MEANS EVERYTHING AND WITHOUT IT..." Knuckles' voice startd to get scratchy as he was holding back tears of rage "WITHOUT IT MY HOME WILL CRASH INTO THE OCEAN! I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU AS AN ALLY, ROUGE!"

"Yeah, well you---" Sonic was about to continue arguing with Knuckles but Rouge cut in.

"It's okay, Sonic. He has a right to be mad." Rouge said, her voice shaky "I...I gotta go..."

She walked out as fast as she could, but halfway to the door she broke out in tears and ran out crying. There was silence in the room as they could all hear Rouge's boots clacking against the hospital floor. After a while the sound grew faint. Knuckles wasn't about to change his mind, he meant what he said, Rouge had no right to do what she did. But a few seconds later a moan of pain came from Tails as they all turned to him, eager to find out just what the heck had happned to the master emerald._______________________________________________________________________

The road was rough for Knuckles but for the new Echidna in the block, Blinx everything was going according to plan. He knew his mission and was fullfilling it just as planned. He glided over to the G.U.N laboratory where the 'doc' as he called him awaited his update on his misssion. The professor paced around the laboratory, with Sara beside him, following him around the lab, reassuring him that Blinx did a fine job when Blinx comes walking in through the automatic security doors.

"Hello, doctor" said Blinx as he walked in "I shattered that emerald of yours, what now?"

"Blinx, welome back." smirked the doctor "You have done well, my boy. Your next task is to contact the other guardian."

"Yes, you told me earlier. Where is he?" asked the orange echidna as Sara handed him an apple.

"You must go back in time a few hundred years." said the doctor calmly "and it is a her, she was the original guardian."

"If you want me to do this you gotta be serious" Blinx took a bite of the apple and swallowed "How the heck am I gonna go through time like that?"

"You may not know this, Blinx, but I have modified your Chaos Control technique" he stated

"Really?" asked Blinx curiously "How so?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" said the doctor "You see if you can manage to confine the power of the emerald a few more seconds then when you teleport your self concious will take you to where you want to go."

"Really?" Blinx said in amazement "That's astounding doctor, but exactly where does my self concious get the information on where I need to go in time?"

"The emerald knows the guardian" he stated as-a-matter-of-factly

"That's impossible, you act as if the emerald thinks for itself!"

At Blinx's remark, the dark figure of the professor looked toward him, the lenses of his glasses glowing in the darkness.

"Yes"

"Alright, doctor. Well, I'll be off then."

At that Blinx left the laboratory as the doors closed behind him, a person came on the television monitor next to Sara.

"Doctor!" She yelled "Take a look at this! Quick!"

The professor walked over to the monitor. The man on the screen was none other than the late Professor Gerald Robotnik! There was a rumble in the building, but Sara and the Professor were glued to the screen, if they did notice the rumble at all, they completely avoided it.

"If any living creature can watch this right now, my plan to destroy the earth has failed. If it has, I will NOT go on in the afterlife, knowing Maria was not avenged. Since the apocolypse is coming I see no reason to put forth any effort in trying to destroy the planet. In my early years I had discovered the end of the earth was soon to come and I started on the ultimate defense lifeform, code name: Blinx. I purposly discontinued him and now without his help, this planet will suffer like I had planned!"

"He was mad!" the doctor exclaimed "Thank god we knew and continued Blinx!"

"However.." the mad scientist on the monitor continued "If the project has managed to somehow lived I will assure that his help will not defend against doomsday!"

The doctor and Sara looked at the montor in horror, they now noticed the rumble on the floor as the hurried out to try and get out of the building. They were only a few inches from the door when a giant explosion went off.

Blinx had just taken off from the building when the blast threw him back. He landed on his back as he slid on the concrete of the street. He got up and dusted hismelf off and looked back as the G.U.N HQ fell to the ground. He wondered if Sara and the Professor were okay. He glided back over to the rubble after the explosion was done and found Sara and the professor at the front of the rubble. They had been crushed and burnt to death, he looked at their burnt faces and crushed bodies as a single tear ran down his cheek but that was the only physical change on the outside...he just kept glaring around with that angry look in his eyes, intimidating as ever. But he was torn up on the inside. These two humans had nursed him and cared for him for years now. But he didn't know what to think of it. All he knew of was how to fight and what his mission was, that's all he knew, he hadn't very much expirience with pure emotion. He pulled out the duplicate of the transperant Chaos emerald that the doctor had always told him to be careful with, he held it high above his head and shouted.

It was a sunny day in the village where Tikal, the Chao, Chaos, and the Echidna tribe lived peacefully. The shrine glinted as the sun reflected off the light of the Chaos and Master emeralds. Tikal sat at the steps of the shrine and looked up into the morning sky as she petted a Chao.

"What a beautiful day, don't you agree?" The Chao nodded happily but there was another response, a response from inside the shrine, the echoing sound of dripping water.

Tikal giggled "I don't think that's a good idea. You always seem to get in some type of trouble even if you promise to be good!"

It had been a long while sine Sonic and the others had rescued Tikal and Chos from their prison, and brought peace to the past. Tikal's father had to now, accept Chaos as the guardian of the Chao, but that didn't mean he liked the idea of Chaos roaming around. Tikal continued to pet the Chao and kissed it on the cheek. The sphere around the Chaos head turned into a heart as it blushed bright red. She then noticed a strange power, definitly from the Chaos emeralds, but she was so close to them, why would the power seem so strong? There was then a flash of light in the distance as Blinx stepped out from his portal and was now in front of the staircase. Tikal smiled happily and thought to herself. A visitor! From the future! Perhaps it was one of her friends! Had they found out the secret of time travel with the Emeralds in the future? She couldn't wait to hear about it!

She turned to Chaos and warned it not to follow her as she skipped down the steps. But when she got to the bottom it wasn't one of her friends waiting for her, it was the glaring eyes of another Echidna. She did not recall this as the face of a warrior or villager, but she decided to be friendly anyway.

"Hello." she greeted "Welcome to our Village! I know that you are from the future...tell me...how did you harness the power of the emerald?"

Blinx looked down at her she was about the same physical age as him, but a great deal shorter "The original guardian, I take it?"

"I am Blinx. I've come to take you back to the future." he said seriously, trying to keep his eyes on the girl and not of the beautiful surroundings.

"What for?" The young girl asked.

"I will explain when we get there. There's not time. Let's go.."

But Tikal stood in place.

"Is this a trick?"

"NOW!" he yelled.

Chaos had been watching the whole thing. He didn't like it one bit. He wanted to go down and get rid of this indtruder but he stood true to his word to Tikal and did what he could, and roared from the moat around the Master Emerald. Blinx looked around, obviously scared.

"He's just worried. He doesn't like strangers." she told the stranger.

"Who?" he said cautiously

"Chaos." she said with a slight smirk on her face, she liked that he now found her intimidating, at least with Chaos around.

"Chaos?!" Blinx shouted in horror. He knew what THAT was, the doc had told him, the awful water monster that had attacked Station Square when he was still in slumber. "I'm..I'm sorry for being too forward with you, guardian. But we need to go. The one you know named Knuckles needs your help."

Tikal remembered Knuckles. He was the present guardian. She still wasn't sure of this stranger but she couldn't take any chances on her friends saftey. Besides, she could threaten him with Chaos if anything went wrong, it seemed he had no advanced knowlage on him.

"Alright, I'll go. Just let me get a few things.." Tikal headed for the shringe but Blinx grabbed her hand and made her face him. There was a slight blush on Tikal's face and also on Blinx's face. This felt different...holding a girls hand, but he tried to keep focused on the mission. Tikal was also felt somewhat different. She never had held hands with a boy..all the warriors were too serious and her father had forbidden any boys in the village. After a few seconds they both came to, Blinx was the first to speak.

"Umm..N-No.." he stammered "We umm...must leave immideatly."

"Alright...can you let go of my hand?" Tikal managed to blurt out. She knew it was rather rude but it did feel awkward.

"Can't.." said Blinx "You gotta hold my...hand...for the trip.."

"Oh.."

She didn't really have to. Anyone close to the impact of the teleportation would also go on the trip. It wasn't his fault, if the doctor had told him, he had forgotten, but they did hold hands as he held the emerald over his head and shouted

"CHAOS CONTROL"

TIkal's grip tightened on his hand. She was scared, but he didn't know what to make of this...he simply just went on as he had before and they vanished a few seconds later.._______________________________________________________________________

"You don't even know who the heck he was?"

"No, he just shattered it and flew off."

Knuckles was questioning Tails as much as he could. This was bad, very bad. The peices were all over, and to top that off, a new enemy was in the way of restoring it.

Rouge hadn't left the hospital. She was too worried about Knuckles' condition. She simply stood outside, waiting to see if an emergency would arise. She felt terrible. She didn't blame him for getting mad at her. He was right, it WAS her fault. Rouge would have rather continued her mourning but she saw a flash of light in the distance. Echidnas. Two of them. She didn't recognize them at all, but they were heading towards the hospital. She stood there as the automatic doors opened and granted them access to the hospital. She didn't know Knuckles very well, maybe this was...family? She followed them out of curiousity to see if they went to Knuckles' room. Sure enough, the strange couple knocked on the door.

Everyone in the room turned to the door.

"Who could that be? Maybe Rouge?" Amy asked.

"If it is tell her to go away! I don't feel the need to talk to her." Knuckles stated firmly.

Sonic went over to answer the door, expecting Rouge. Despite Knuckles, he was going to invite her back in. But that plan changed when he saw Blinx and Tikal in the doorway.

Sonic eyed Blinx. How did he know? He opened his mouth to speak again. "Umm, yes. He's injured but I would think that isn't enough to get you out of the past."

Tikal Looked up to Blinx.

"If you let me in, I will explain."

Sonic looked up over at him cautiously. "And just who might YOU be, buddy?"

"My name is Blinx." he smirked "I think your two tailed friend will recognize me."

"SO!" Sonic glared. "You're the one that shattered the emerald. Why, I outta.." Sonic trailed off as he chraged Blinx, but Blinx didn't move a muscle as Sonic was thrown back into the room and against a wall.

"I was prepared for this." Blinx slowly walked into the room, followed by Tikal who had a hand over her mouth in shock.

"What was that?!" Knuckles sat up in his bed with wide eyes.

"To answer your question, that was the advanced power of Chaos control." as he walked over to the side of Knuckles' bed. Rouge had already rushed inside from the sound of Sonic hitting the wall. She was standing by the doorway. "Now...guardian.." he said as he raises a hand up in front of Knuckles. "It's time to die!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

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